MEMORANDUM
TO:
UTSA Faculty and Staff
FROM:
Ricardo Romo, President
DATE:
January 31, 2008
SUBJECT:
University Excellence Awards
Our most valuable asset at UTSA is our people, and our university is rapidly becoming a
premier research university thanks to the endless hours of dedication from our employees. It is
important that we take the time to recognize and honor those who go beyond the call of duty. This is
why I would like to highly encourage you to take the time to nominate your colleagues for the
University Excellence Awards.
The goal of the University Excellence Awards is to honor outstanding UTSA staff across the
Tri-campuses who demonstrate excellent work performance. The nomination deadline is 5 p.m.,
Friday, February 29, 2008. A monetary award of $1,000 will accompany each of the following
awards:
 The Rising Star Award
 The Leadership Award
 The Team Spirit Award
 The Extra Mile Award
 The Order of the Roadrunner Award
Additionally, the Tri-Campus community is invited to nominate individuals or work teams for
the Richard S. Howe Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Award. This award is
presented to faculty and staff members who have shown exemplary commitment to UTSA
undergraduates and have gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to UTSA undergraduate
students. The recipient(s) of this award could receive up to $2,000.
Attached are descriptions for each of the awards along with a nomination form. I ask that
supervisors provide printed copies to those employees who may not have access to a UTSA personal
computer.
The 2008 ceremony is 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 15, 2008, in the Retama Auditorium,
University Center Room 2.02.02 at the 1604 Campus. At the ceremony, we also will recognize
employees who have reached milestones in their length of service with the University. Additionally,
retirees from the previous year will be invited to return to the campus to receive a token gift of
appreciation.
I thank you in advance for taking the time to nominate your colleagues who help make UTSA a
better place for all.
RR/mec
Attachments: Nomination Forms
Award Descriptions
2008 University Excellence Awards
Nomination Form
Nomination deadline: 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 29, 2008
All UTSA faculty and staff may submit nominations using this form. Nominees must be current
UTSA staff (non-faculty) who are at director level and below. Previous honorees who have received
an award more than five (5) years ago can be nominated for a 2008 award.
Nomination forms with original signature may be sent to the Employee Relations Office,
Multidisciplinary Studies (MS) building, 2.02.46 or University Heights (UH), 1.120.
Recipients of these awards will be formally recognized at the Staff Excellence Awards ceremony on
Tuesday, April 15, 2008.
Nominee Information:
Name: _________________________________Title_____________________________________
College/Department: ______________________________________________________________
Campus Phone: ___________________________Campus E-mail:__________________________
Nominee’s Supervisor’s name/phone #:________________________________________________
Nominator Information:
Name: ________________________________________Title_______________________________
College/Department: _______________________________________________________________
Campus Phone: ______________________________Campus E-mail:________________________
Nominator’s Signature: _____________________________________________________________
Award for which I am nominating this individual: (check only one category per nomination)
 The Rising Star Award
 The Extra Mile Award
 The Leadership Award
 The Order of the Roadrunner Award
 The Team Spirit Award
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please submit a separate nomination form with supporting information
if you wish to nominate the same person for a different award.
Instructions:
On a separate sheet, provide specific examples that show how your nominee has gone “above and
beyond” their job duties and how these examples best meet the award description. (See attached list).
Please limit your entry to no more than two (2) pages, single-spaced.
2008 University Excellence Award
Descriptions and Writing Guides
The Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award recipient must be a new employee with less than (3) three years of continuous service
with the University and who has made significant contributions throughout the year to his or her area, or to the
University community. This individual has innovative ideas and has made significant contributions. They have
a demonstrated record of improvement, have progressed through cooperation, initiative, and are self-starters
with a take-charge attitude. This talented employee has volunteered to assist when and where needed.
Writing guide:
 Is the individual nominated for this award a new employee with less than (3) three years of continuous
service with the University?
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What are the significant contributions that have been performed by this nominee throughout
year in his or her area, or within the University Community?
the
Briefly describe how the ideas and contributions made by this individual were innovative and
significant?
How has this individual demonstrated by their efforts a record of improvement?
How has this individual progressed through cooperation and initiative?
How has this individual demonstrated a self-starter and take-charge attitude?
How has this talented individual volunteered to assist when and where needed?
The Leadership Award
The Leadership Award recipient must be currently functioning in a supervisory capacity; has promoted
departmental and University mission and goals through actions and job performance; demonstrated exceptional
leadership ability; fostered a positive and motivating work environment; maintained open communication lines
within the department and throughout UTSA; encouraged professional development; demonstrated fairness and
equity in resolving employee and work-related issues; and remain receptive to receiving constructive feedback
concerning his or her own job performance.
Writing guide:
 Is the individual nominated for this award currently functioning in a supervisory capacity?
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How has this individual promoted departmental and University mission and goals through actions and
job performance?
How has this individual demonstrated: exceptional leadership ability; fostered a positive and motivating
work environment?
How has this individual maintained open communication lines within the department and throughout
UTSA?
How has this individual encouraged professional development; demonstrated fairness and equity in
resolving employee and work-related issues and remained receptive to receiving constructive feedback
concerning his or her own job performance?
The Team Spirit Award
The Team Spirit Award will be awarded to a group of staff employees who has demonstrated exceptional
ability to foster collaboration, communication, and cooperation among colleagues internal and/or external to
their department. The team’s action has significantly improved customer service or increased customer
satisfaction for specific UTSA customers; has significantly improved a work process or system or has
significantly increased the productivity and efficiency of an operation or work unit.
Writing guide:
 Are the nominees for this award a group of staff employees within the same department?
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How has this group demonstrated exceptional ability to foster collaboration, communication, and
cooperation among colleagues internal and/or external to their department?
How has the nominating team’s action significantly improved customer service or increased customer
satisfaction for specific UTSA customers?
How has the team being nominated significantly improved a work process or system?
How has the team being nominated significantly increased the productivity and efficiency of an
operation or work unit?
The Extra Mile Award
The Extra Mile Award recognizes an individual with (3) three years or more of continuous service with
UTSA and who has taken the initiative to contribute to the success of UTSA through his or her outstanding
contributions at work. Extra efforts demonstrated in their accomplishments, timeliness, and follow-through,
willingness to help fellow employees, provide good customer service with creativity, dedication, cooperation
and reliability. He or she has performed at a level above and beyond normal job requirements that have resulted
in furthering the department’s and UTSA’s goals and mission.
Writing guide:
 Is the nominee for this award an individual with (3) three years or more of continuous service with
UTSA?
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How has this individual demonstrated initiative to contribute to the success of UTSA through his or her
outstanding contributions at work?
How have the extra efforts been demonstrated by this individual in the following areas: their
accomplish-ments, timeliness, follow-through, willingness to help fellow employees; provide good
customer service with creativity, dedication, cooperation and reliability?
How has this individual performed at a level above and beyond normal job requirements that have
resulted in furthering the department’s and UTSA’s goals and mission?
The Order of the Roadrunner Award
The Order of the Roadrunner Award will be given to an individual who demonstrates exemplary service and
commitment to UTSA, and the achievement of its goals through his or her actions throughout the year. This
individual has enhanced the quality of work-life in ways that significantly increase productivity and efficiency
for colleagues or customers to include developing creative solutions; provided outstanding and ongoing
excellence in services to faculty, staff, students, and/or other UTSA customers. This is the highest honor that a
UTSA staff member can receive for his or her dedication to the UTSA community.
Writing guide:
 How has this individual demonstrated exemplary service and commitment to UTSA and the achievement
of its goals through his or her actions throughout the year?

How has this individual enhanced the quality of work-life in ways that significantly increase
productivity and efficiency for colleagues or customers to include developing creative solutions;
provided outstanding and ongoing excellence in services to faculty, staff, students, and/or other UTSA
customers?
2008 Richard S. Howe Excellence in
Service to Undergraduate Students Award
Nomination Form
Nomination deadline: 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 29, 2008
The Richard S. Howe Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Award is presented to faculty
and staff members who have shown exemplary commitment towards UTSA undergraduates. This
monetary award is given to an employee or a group of employees who have “gone above and beyond
the call of duty” in service to UTSA undergraduate students. The recipient(s) of this award could
receive up to $2,000.
Award Nomination Criteria:
 Demonstrated a strong commitment to teaching and/or service to undergraduate students
 Served as an advocate for undergraduate education
 Engaged in activities to promote student access and success
Award for which I am nominating this individual(s): (check only one category per nomination)
 Employee Award
 Team Award*
Nominee Information:
Name: ______________________________________Title__________________________________
College/Department/Project Name: _____________________________________________________
Campus Phone: ______________________________Campus E-mail:__________________________
Nominee’s Supervisor’s name/phone #:__________________________________________________
Nominator Information:
Name: __________________________________Title______________________________________
College/Department: ________________________________________________________________
Campus Phone: ____________________________Campus E-mail:___________________________
Nominator’s Signature: ______________________________________________________________
Instructions:
1) On a separate sheet and in 100 words or less, please provide specific examples that show how your
nominee has met the criteria described above.
2) Nomination forms with original signature may be sent to the Employee Relations Office,
Multidisciplinary Studies (MS) building, 2.02.46 or University Heights (UH), 1.120.
3) Please submit a separate nomination form with supporting information, if you wish to nominate the
same person for a different award.
* IMPORTANT NOTE: * Team Award nominations must contain the names of each member on a
separate sheet.